5 realistic objectives the Washington Commanders must achieve in 2024

There's a sense of nervous excitement among Washington Commanders fans with their 2024 season opener at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just a few short days away. They are thrilled with the improvements made throughout a frenetic offseason. There are also plenty of unknown quantities following wholesale alterations from top to bottom.

The Commanders haven't got a high bar to improve matters. Things turned sour pretty quickly in 2023 during what turned out to be the final season under previous head coach Ron Rivera. It came as no surprise to see Josh Harris' ownership group go in a different direction to mark the dawning of a new era.

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is highly respected in league circles, bringing much more prestige and purpose to the top job. Whether he can maximize his second head-coaching opportunity remains to be seen, but the early signs are positive nonetheless.

If the Commanders want to hit the ground running with Quinn and his accomplished coaching staff leading the charge, they must achieve these five realistic objectives in 2024.

Realistic objectives the Commanders must achieve in 2024

Commanders must decrease sacks per game allowed

Sam Howell never stood a chance last season. The Washington Commanders put the former fifth-round selection in front of a porous offensive line incapable of coping with Eric Bieniemy's pass-happy demands. He made some mistakes that eventually resulted in his departure, but very few signal-callers would have succeeded in this sort of environment.

The Commanders conceded 3.8 sacks per game on average in 2023. This was tied with the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, and New York Jets in the basement. Only the New York Giants posted a worse number. Decreasing this total should be the biggest priority above all else.

Washington has a franchise quarterback to protect in No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels. They've made some potentially useful upgrades to their protection, but the edge options look vulnerable if Andrew Wylie's indifferent form continues or rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman cannot adjust quickly to blindside duties.

Keeping Daniels upright is essential. Anything less comes with grave consequences attached.

Commanders must gain more sacks

The Washington Commanders had trouble generating consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks throughout the 2023 season. Things weren't especially promising even before the defensive end tandem of Montez Sweat and Chase Young were traded. It got even worse after.

Washington's only promising edge rusher last season was unceremoniously removed by the new regime. K.J. Henry suffered the disappointment of being cut as the Commanders finalized their 53-man roster despite making encouraging strides over the summer. The former fifth-round pick landed with the Cincinnati Bengals and could become impactful on the rotation.

The Commanders have confidence in their pass-rushing options heading into Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Increasing their 2.3 sacks per game in 2023 - ranked No. 26 league-wide - is essential for Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr.'s defense to be potentially dominant this time around.

Those in power believe the personnel and scheme are in place to thrive. That said, silencing some increasing doubters over the first few weeks of the season is paramount.

Commanders must run the football more

Eric Bieniemy came to the Commanders with a glowing reputation. The offensive coordinator wanted to run the show and get out of Andy Reid's shadow after winning two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. This was supposed to be his final stumbling block to navigate before getting a long-awaited head coaching opportunity.

It didn't take long for this positivity to disintegrate. Players were unhappy with Bieniemy's coaching methods, even demanding Ron Rivera take back power. The schematic concepts were one-dimensional., focusing too much on passing and placing far unnecessary pressure on a woeful offensive line.

Not having a balanced offense proved detrimental. The Commanders were playing from behind a lot, but just 21.1 rushing attempts per game in 2023 was inexcusable. Something new play-caller Kliff Kingsbury must change with Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler leading the charge.

Robinson and Ekeler look like a potentially potent running back tandem if used correctly. Kingsbury's already made this an intention, which should also provide rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels with a security blanket during his pivotal early transition.

Commanders must decrease passing yards per game allowed

Once touted as a defense that could potentially become one of the league's best in 2023, the Washington Commanders unit led by Jack Del Rio didn't come close to reaching these expectations. Even when the coordinator was rightfully fired and head coach Ron Rivera assumed responsibility for the defense, the same complications emerged.

One of the primary catalysts behind their demise centered on giving up too many big plays through the air. Not having any reliable pass-rush over the second half of 2023 didn't help, but the secondary was a major frustration nonetheless.

The Commanders gave up an NFL-worst 262.2 passing yards per game in 2023. That's nowhere near good enough - something Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. must decrease significantly sooner rather than later.

Second-round pick Mike Sainristil's arrival should help greatly. That said, concerns remain about Washington's other cornerback options despite the improved schematic concepts implemented by Quinn and Whitt.

This could go either way, in all honesty. But the Commanders must get this lofty number down this season by any means necessary.

Commanders must restore competitive pride

The Commanders have been seen as a dysfunctional laughingstock for years. There were brief glimpses of promise under Ron Rivera, but this was fleeting and the previous head coach paid with his job.

Fans are starting to believe again while also harboring apprehensive optimism. The scar tissue from Dan Snyder's cataclysmic ownership is still fresh, so they're right to err on the side of caution until the new regime fully earns their trust.

Dan Quinn and Adam Peters are on the right path in that regard. However, the only thing that's about to matter is the football product and how much it's improved in a relatively short space of time.

Nobody is expecting the Commanders to win every contest in Year 1 of their rebuild. What fans do want is for the team to stay engaged and fight with everything they have whether things are going well or not.

The competitive fire and inner pride must return in 2024. That's the least Washington's long-suffering fanbase deserves after being dragged through the mud for two decades.

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